Oil control device



Aug. 1, 1 944. R. w. .JOHNSON ET AL OIL CONTROL DEviGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 23, 1942 la'. I m..

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wut ATTO Aug 1, 1944 R. w. JOHNSON ETAL i 2,354,755

' OIL CONTROL DEVICE y Filed NOV. 23, 1942 Y W2 Sheets-Sheet 2 20 BY vzx/voA/Rw s y' ATTORNE Patented Aug. 1, 1944 on. common DEvrcE Roy W. Johnson, William A. Biermann, and Vernon R. Pawelsky, Milwaukee,'Wis., assignorsto Automatic Products Company, Milwaukee, wis., l a` corporation of Wisconsin I Application November-23,`1942, Serial No. 466,602

12 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in control devices for use in regulating the supply of liquid fuel to gravity feed oil burners.

Devices of this kind, vas commonly-employed, have a casing .provided with a liquid supply chamberin which a constant level of liquid fuel is maintained. The liquid supply chamber is provided with an outlet connected by a pipeline to the burner. The oil ow through the outlet to the burner is under theregulation of a metering valve which is adjustable either manually or thermostatically. or under the conjoint inuence of manual and thermostatic control, to provide for a low or a pilot name at the burner or for intermediate or high flames depending upon the adjustment of the valve.

The present invention proposes to so constitute and organize a device of this character that normally the metering valve is shifted from a manually selected high re position to a pilot or low fire position under the control of a thermostat which may be subjected and responsive to the temperature of the heater, for example, the bonnet of a furnace, or to any other temperature condition which is determined upon as suitable for controlling purposes. With such an arrangement eflicient and safe operation is normally maintained by the shifting of the valve from its intermediate or high fire position to its low or pilot re position. Under some conditions, however, the mere shifting of the metering valve by the thermostat to low or pilot fire position will (01;236-4) and which is simple, compact, andclosely, organ`lv4 not prevent a continued rise in temperature, and

quent increased response of the thermostat, the

same thermostat that regulates normal operations releases the latch and causes the safety cut-olf mechanism to function. The organization is such, however, that upon restoration of normal conditions the safety cut-off mechanism may Foe readily re-set, andthe device rendered responsive to the influence of its normal controlling instrumentalities. l

Another object of the invention isl to provide a device having these advantages and capacities,

the Constant level oil control device,in wh y connected to the burner (not shown).

ized in construction, reliable and effective in ope=4 ation, conveniently adjustable and adapted tov be 'l economically manufactured from 'materials'and by means of facilities ordinarily available.y l y Other objects and advantages reside certain novel features of the construction, arrangement,

and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully` described and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, reference being. had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:`

Figure 1 is a View partly in longitudinal, Vvertical cross section and partly in side elevation, showing an oil controlling device embodyingr the present invention, the metering valve being shown' in high fire position; Figure 2 is a view partlyi'n top plan and partly in horizontal cross section, taken on line 2`2 of Figllle 1.;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal, vertical cross section but illustrating the mechanism in the position which it assumes when the safety cut-off mechanism functions and the metering valve is punched to a completely shut-olf position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View similar to Figure 3, but illustrating the mechanism in the position which it assumes: when the metering valve is shifted to low orpilotre position;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in horizontal cross section taken on line 5 5 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction `of the arrows; and

Figure 6 is a view in end elevation of the control mechanism per se. b A --l- Referring to the drawings, it will be'seerfthat present invention is embodied, comprises y l casing, designated generally at i0, and havingffa liquid supply chamber Il'. Liquidfuel isfsup plied to and maintained at a constant level inthe chamber Il iby float-controlled mechanism, designated as a whole at I2. Since this mechanism is well knownand widely used, it will not be described in detail.; For a full disclosure of this mechanism reference is made to UnitedStates Letters Patent 2,068,128, granted January 19, 1937, andl United States Letters Patent 2,120,364, granted June 14, 1938.

The liquid flows out of the main supply chamber Ii, through an outlet passage i3, which is A metering valve, designated generally at I5, regulates `the flow of the liquid fuel to the outlet passage.

The valve is biased t0 open position by means of `a spring I6 and is shiftable from a high fire position and under some conditions to completely shut-off` position. A manually operable' or adjustable con-N trol knob I6 determines the high or intermediate fire position of the valve. As this feature per se forms no part of the present invention, it will not be described in detail. Preferably it embodies the construction described and claimed in Patent No. 2,293,903, issued to Roy W. Johnson for "Compensating valve actuating mechanism, on August 25, 1942.

Applied to the upper open end of the main casing I is the cover frame, designated generally at 28, and releasably secured to the body of the casing by suitable number of screws 2 I. The portion of the cover frame that overlies the metering valve I5 has a transversely extending and horizontally disposed web 22 `cast integral therewith and formed ,with suitable openings to accommodate the various elements hereinafter to be de. scribed. The closure of the top of the control device is completed by the provision of a name plate 23 which is releasably secured in position by a suitable number of screws 24.

The manually operable control knob I6 isocombined with the cover frame in a manner fully described in the patent referred to immediately above, and it has a cam 25 (see Figure 5) which rides on an abutment lug 26 integral with and upstanding from an adjustable supporting arm 21. The arm 21 is constituted of stiiliy resilient metal and has one end riveted, as at 28, to the cover frame. Adjacent its opposite end the arm 21 is formed with an internally threaded bearing 282 An adjusting screw has a swivelconnection 3l with a socket 32 provided in the web 22 of the cover frame and is threadedly interconnected with the bearing 28 of the arm 21. 'I'he top of the screw 30 is cross slotted and when the cover plate 23 is removed it is accessible for adjustment by means of a screw-driver or other suitable tool.

'I'he knob I6 is provided with a depending pin or stem effective to determine the maximum open position of the metering valve I5.

The pin or stern 35, as well as a thermostatic control to be hereinafter described, both exert their control over the metering valve through a valve-actuating mechanism -comprising generally a valve-operating lever, indicated as a whole at To the under side of the outer end of this lever .one end of the spring leaf 31 is riveted, as indicated at 4I. The end of the lever to which the spring leaf is riveted is formed with a lateral enlargement 42 having an internally threaded opening therein which receives a low fire stop screw 43. This stop screw 43 is engageable with an abutment or seat provided by a downwardly oifset portion 44 of the supporting arm 21 to determinethe lower pilot fire position of the metering valve.

-The free end of the spring leaf 31 has a valveengaging member 45 riveted thereto and directly enlgageable with the upper end of the metering va ve.

f between the lever and the bracket 5I and is under The valve-operating lever 361s formed with an integral lever arm 46, the outer end of which engages the lower headed end of an operating pin 41, which is slidably fittedV in a bearing 48 provided therefor on the web 22 of the cover frame..

'I'he thermostatic control oi.' the telve includes a thermostat such as a bellows 58, which is secured to and carried by a. bracket 5I fastened to the cover frame 26 at the end of the frame adjacent the metering' valve I5. The bellows 58 contains an expanding fluid and is of the type which has a capillary tube 53 leading therefrom and usually terminating in a bulb 53' which is subjected to the temperature which is to control the operation of the device. The diaphragm of the bellows 58 has a driving stud or projection 55 secured thereto and projecting outwardly therefrom. `The usual loading spring may be combined with the bellows 58 and its driving stud or projection 55. However, the construction of the bellows or other thermostat, per se, forms no lpart oi' the present invention. Hence, it is not described in detail.

. The bellows stud -55 is in cooperable engagement with a lever 56 fulcrumed on a pivot pin 51 carried by bracket 5I. Freely pivoted on the same pin 51 is a second lever 58. The lever 56 has an arm 58 overlying the lever 58. A spring 60 is interposed between the arm 59 of the lever 56 and the lever 58. A bolt 64 passes loosely through an opening provided in the arm 59 and is threadedly engaged with the lever 58. The spring 66 surrounds the shank of the'bolt 6|. The head of the bolt is engageable with the margin of the bolt hole or opening in the arm 58. A nut 62 is threaded on the lower end of the bolt 6I 'and is engageable with the margin of the bolt hole in the lever 58 to prevent rotation of the bolt 6I. This spring, bolt, and nut arrangement provides a yieldable driving connection between the'levers 56 and 58. The lever 58 is in driving engagement with the upper end of the operating pin 41. It is obvious that the levers 56 and 58, together withthe yieldable driving connection between them, constitute a motion transmission train between the thermostat 50 and the valveactuating mechanism so that as the bellows expands and contracts, the metering valve will be opened and closed. This arrangement is operable to shift the metering valve from its low or pilot fire position, shown in Figure 4, to intermediate or high iire position, shown in Figure 1, and vice versa, but is not effective to completely close the metering valve. Low fire stop screw 43, when engaged with its abutment or seat 44, positively prevents further movement of lvalve-operating lever 36 in a direction to impart closing `movement to the valve I5.

The present invention proposes to provide a safety .shut-oil mechanism operable under cer-` tain conditions to completely shut theL metering valve. For this purpose the upper end of the metering valve has a laterally projecting arm 65 fixed thereto and engaging the lower end of a thrust rod 66.- The rod 66 slides through an openingA provided therefor in'the cover frame and also through guides 66 provided therefor on the bracket 5I (see Figure 6). The upper' end of the pin is disposed below a cross arm 61 of a safety cut-oi! lever 68. The lever 68 is fulcrumed as at 68 on the bracket 5I. A'spring 10 is interposed compression so that it tends to throw the lever forcibly downwardly and causes its cross arm 61 to strike the push rod 66, thereby moving the rod 86 downwardly to cause it to depress arm 65 and close the metering valve I6. The lever 68 is, however, normally inactive since it is latched against movement under the influence of thespring by means of a pivoted latch 1I. upper end of the latch 1I is pivoted as at 12 on the bracket 5l. The latch projects through a, slot 68 formed in the safety cut-off lever 8B' and has a latching shoulder 13 engageable with a keeper plate 14 provided at one end of the slot l0 68'. The lower end of the latch depends below the safety cut-cti lever and lies in the path of a trip 15 which may be integrally formed with the lever 56, and which when it engages ,the latch 1| will shift its latching projection or shoulder l5 i3 out of engagement with the keeper plate 14 and permit the spring 10 to actuate the safety cut-o lever 68.

With this construction, as long as normal conditions obtain, the metering valve is merely moved doing will swing the lever S5 from the position 25 shown in Figure 4 to the position shown in Figure 3. This involves compression of the spring 6U and shifting of the latch 1| to its releasing position. As a consequence, the safety cut-off mechanism will be actuated and the metering 3o vvalve completely closed. Obviously, one, of the advantages of this construction is that the same thermostat that controls normal regulation also functions to control the safety cut-off mechanism and eiect complete closure of the metering valve.

A T-shaped re-setting bar 85 is provided and the bar extending through an opening at the top of the bracket 5i, through the spring 10, and an opening in the safety cut-off lever t8, and having 'the cross d' of its T underlying the lever G8 (see 40 Figure 6). This re-setting bar may be connected by a pull chain or pull wire (not shown) to any suitable point of convenient control. Whenthe bar 8U is pulled upwardly, it will swing the safety cut-off lever upwardly and allow the latch 13 g5 to re-engage its keeper so that the device is re-set for normal operation. y

While we have shown and described one construction in which the invention may be advantageously embodied, it is to be understood that 5o `the construction shown has been selected merely for the purpose of illustration or example, and that various changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

We claim: e l l. An oil controldevicecomprising a casing having a. liquid supply chamber provided with an outlet, a metering valve for regulating ow e()V through said outlet, a valve operating lever functioning, when actuated, to shift the valve from high fire position to pilot fire position, and vice versa, a low fire stop cooperable with said lever to limit its movement in the direction in which it is operable to move the valve toward closed position, a thermostat for actuating said lever, a motion transmission train between said thermostat and said lever including a yieldable connection, safety cut-oi mechanism biased to punch the vaive to closed position and having an operating connection with the valve independently of said motion transmission train, a latch normally retaining the safety cut-off mechanism inactive, and a trip for the latch actuated by said The 6 thermostat upon a continued rise in temperature after the thermostat has moved the valve to pilot fire position, said yieldable connection relieving the active elements of the device of excessive strain and insuring effective action' when the thermostat functions to actuate the trip.

2. An oil control device 'comprising a casing having a liquid supply chamber provided with an outlet, a metering valve for regulating flow operable with the lever to limit its movement in the direction in which it moves the valve toward closed position, a thermostat for actuating said iever, a motion transmission train between the thermostat and the lever including a yieldable connection, safety shut-oil means biased to punch the valve to completely closed position and having a connection with the valve independent of said motion transmission train, a latch for releasably securing the safety cut-oil mechanism inactive, and a trip for the latch actuated by the thermostat when the temperature continues to rise a predetermined amount after the thermostat has shifted the valve to pilot fire position, said yieldable connection relieving the thermostat and the elements of said motion transmission ltrain of excessive strain and insuring effective action when the thermostat functions to actuate the trip.

3. An oil control device comprising a casing having a liquid supply chamber provided with an outlet, a metering valve for `regulating flow through the outlet, a valve-operating lever for shifting said valve, a low re stop for limiting the movement of the lever in the direction in which it is effective to shift the valve toward 1 closed position, a thermostat, a motion transmission train between said thermostat and said lever and including a pair of cooperable levers supported for rotation about a common axis, said thermostat having a driving connection with one of said levers, a yieldable driving connection between the members of said pair of levers, the driven member of the pair of levers being connected with the valve-operating lever, in combination with safety cut-olf mechanism for punching the valve to closed position. a latch for norlmally holding the safety cut-off mechanism inactive, and a trip for the latch carried by the member of the pair of levers which has driving engagement with the thermostat.

4. An oil control device comprising a casing having a liquid supply chamber provided with an outlet, a metering valve for regulating flow through said outlet, actuating mechanism for shifting the-metering valve from high re position to low fire posit-ion and vice versa, a thermostat controlling the action of said actuating mechanism, safety cut-oii mechanism for punch'- ing the metering valve to completely closed position, a latch for normally retaining the safety cut-olf mechanism inactive, and a trip for the latch actuated by the thermostat When the temperature continues to rise after the thermostat causes the actuating mechanism to shift the valve to pilot re position.

5. An oil control device comprising a casing having a liquid supply chamber provided with an outlet, aV metering valve for regulating flow through said outlet, actuating mechanism for shifting the metering valve from high fire posi- "tion to low nre position, and vice versa, a thermostat controlling the action of said actuating mechanism, a -safety cut-off mechanism for punching the metering valve to completely closed position, said safety-cutoff mechanism being normally inactive, and means controlled by said thermostat for bringing the safety cut-off mechanism into action when the temperature continues to rise after the thermostat has-caused the actuating mechanism to shift the valve to pilot lire position.

8. An oil control device comprising a casing having a liquid supply chamber provided with an outlet, a metering' valve for regulating -flow throughv saidv outlet, 'actuating mechanism for shifting themetering valve from high ilre position to low fire position, and vice versa, a thermostat controlling the action of said actuating mechanism, safety cut-oil' mechanism for punching the metering valve to completely closed position, a' latch for normally retaining the safety cut-off mechanism inactive, a trip for the latch actuated by the thermostat when the temperature continues to rise after the thermostat causes the actuating mechanism to shift the valve to pilot ilre position, and manually operable means for resetting said safety cut-off mechanism 7. An oil control device comprising a casing having a liquid supply chamber provided with an outlet, a metering valve for regulating flow through said outlet, actuating mechanism for shifting the metering valve from high flre position to low lire position, and vice versa, a thermostat controlling the action of said actuating mechanism, safety cut-oil' mechanism for punching the metering valve to completely closed position 4and Vincluding a safety cut-olf lever biased to a position to punch the metering valve to completely closed position, a pivoted latch cooperable with the safety cut-off lever to retain it in inactive position, and a trip for the latch actuated by said thermostat when the temperature continues to rise after the thermostat causes the actuating mechanism to shift the valve to pilot "mechanism, safety cut-offmechanism for punching the metering valve to completely closed position and including a safety cut-off lever biased to a position to' punch the metering valve to completely closed position, said lever having a slot therein, a keeper plate xed to the lever at one end of the slot, a pivoted latch extending'through the slot and having a latching shoulder cooperative with the keeper plate to retain the safety cut-off lever in inactive position, and a trip for the latch actuated by the thermostat when the temperature continues to rise after the thermostat has caused the actuatingr mechanism to shift the valve to pilot fire position.

^ 9. An oil control device comprising a casing having fa liquid supply chamber provided ywith an outlet, a metering valve for regulating flow through the outlet, a valve-operating lever for shifting said valve, a low fire stop for vlimiting the movement of the lever in the direction in which it is effective to shift the valve toward closed position, a thermostat, a motion transmission train between said thermostat and said lever and including a pair of cooperable levers supported for rotation about a common axis, said thermostat having a driving connection with one of -said levers, a yieldable driving connection between the members of said pair of levers, the driven member of the pair of levers being connected with the valve-operating lever, in combination with safety cut-off mechanism for punching the valve to closed position and including a safety cut-off lever biased to a position to punch the metering valve to completely closed position, a pivoted latch cooperable with the safety cut-olf lever to retain'it in its inactive position, said latch having a portion disposed adjacent said pair of levers, the member of the pair of levers which has driving engagement with the thermostat having an extension functioning to trip the latch when the temperature continues `to rise after the thermostat has caused the actuating mechanism to shift the latch to pilot fire position.

10. An oil control device comprising a casing having a liquid supply chamber provided with an outlet, a. metering v alve for regulating flow through said outlet, actuating mechanism for shifting the valve from high fire position to low iire position, and vice versa, safety cut-off mechanism for punching the valve to closed position, and a single thermostat for regulating the action of both of said mechanisms.

11. An oil control device comprising a casing having a liquid supply chamber provided with an outlet, a metering valve for regulating flow through said outlet, actuating mechanism for shifting the valve from high fire position to low re position, and vice versa, safety cut-off mechanism for punching the valve to closed position, and a single thermostat for regulating the action of both of said mechanisms, in combination with manually operable means for resetting the safety cut-off mechanism.

12. An oil control device comprising a casing having a liquid supply chamber provided with an outlet, a metering valve for regulating flow through said outlet, manually adjustable means cooperable with the`valve to determine its high fire position, a pilot fire stop for determining the pilot fire position of the valve, actuating mechanism for shifting the valve from high fire position to pilot fire position, and vice versa, safety cut-olf mechanism for punching the valve to closed position, and a single thermostat for regulating the action of both of said mechanisms. 

